Sharp County record., 1887-02-17
LEGISLATIVE AND OTHER ITEMS.

Special correspondence to the RECORD.
LITTLE Rock, Feb. Is, 1887.
The legislative mill is grinding slowly
on. The cry of economy and reform Is
heard on every hand. yet the expenses for
clerk hire and contingencies, it is thought,
will exceed the expenditures OF any pre-
vious general assembly.
Senator Martins bill repeating the act
recurring millers to erect and maintain
chutes over their mill-dams for the pass
age of fish, has become law since my last
letter.
Hon. Geo. Ferguson of lizard county, is
lust over case of measles. Just what MIR.
Ferguson has been doing all his life that
he has not bad any measles Is question to
puzzle the judiciary committee.
The bill introduced in the senate week
or two ago to form the 14th judicial cir
cult, would, if passed, take lizard, Fulton
and Baxter counties from your circnit. and
Marion, Searcy and Boone from the fourth.
1t will hardly be passed in its present
shape.
The prospect of consolidating the state
election with the congressional election
looks quite gloomy just now. The fact
that all forms of opposition to the demo-
cratic party are working for it, connected
with what appears to be well-grounded
fear of federal interference, has somewhat
dampened the ardor of several democrats
who came here pledged to the support of
the measure The arguments against con-
sOlidation may seem speciOus to persons IN
your section of the state, but members
from southern and eastern Arkansas earn
estly contend that their grounds of objec.
tions are substantial, and that permitting
the state election to pass under the super
vision of persons appointed by a republi-
can court would be equivalent almost to
turning the election over to irresponsible
adventures in many of the counties. Of
course there are two sides to every ques-
ton.
It is understood that the special COM
mittee appointed by Senator Potts are
carefully revising and perfecting Senator
Barker's bill to provide for a constitution
al covention. This is acknowledged to be
the most important measure now pending
in the legislature. and various speoula-
tions are INDUCED as to the result. The
proposition is without doubt gaining
favor daily.
Thirty four days of this session have
passed at cost to the people of some
S5O,O0O, and but five bills have become
laws, not one of which is of any general
interest to the state. The much needed
changes in the mortgage laws haven't been
made; the road law. as yet. is as 1t was
before the assembly convened; the con-
solidation of the elections has not been
accomplished; railroad regulation, about
which all are agreed, is left undone-even
the free pass bill, which should have oc:
oupied but few minutes of the time of
the session seems no nearer a inallty
than it did weeks ago. Whole days have
been frittered away in the discussion OF
useless proposition to introduce the study
of the effects of alcohol on the human
aystem in our public schools, and the
time wasted in discussing the question OF
buying newspapers and stamps has al,
ready cost enough to buy hundred
copies of every daily paper in the state
for each member. and the end is not yet.
But please have the goodness to withhold
your Judgment until adjournment. tor
This general assembly has many capable
men in it and is yet likely to give the
country some wholesome legislation.
The opposition to democracy in the